Recreational vehicles have long been a popular means of vacationing. They are typically equipped with essential home amenities, such as cooking, sleeping, and rest room facilities. As such, travelers employ recreational vehicles to camp and tour various locations without the need to arrange for hotel or resort accommodations.
Awnings are another popular feature for recreational vehicles. The awnings are typically maintained on a roll which attaches to the side of the recreational vehicle and which allows the recreational vehicle owner thereof to unroll the awning to a usable position to provide shelter from the elements, such as rain and sun. The recreational vehicle owner can easily roll the awning back to the storage position adjacent the side of the recreational vehicle prior to traveling in the recreational vehicle, or when the awning is otherwise not needed. Thus, a retractable awning, as described above, is a desirable feature for recreational vehicle owners.
To maintain the recreational vehicle awning in the storage position rolled up adjacent the side of the recreational vehicle, a retaining apparatus or retention bracket is required. Prior brackets and retaining apparatuses have proven cumbersome. Some brackets rigidly secure the rolled awning to the side of the recreational vehicle, but, nevertheless, make it difficult or complicated to release the rolled awning to the usable position. Prior apparatuses which provide for easy transition between the rolled and unrolled positions have turned out to ineffectively maintain the awning in the stored position. In such cases, the roller bar was initially closed to the storage position and then these apparatuses were manually adjusted and/or positioned and adjusted up to the roller bar, thus supporting the roller bar in the storage and travel position.